Episode 106: Lauren Gaudion - The Runner Girl in the Paddock

Episodes

May 2

Lauren Gaudion, a former college pole vaulter, runs racetracks on IndyCar weekends, ran the Indy Mini alongside Tony Kanaan, and has qualified for Boston twice without wearing a watch.

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About this episode

Lauren Gaudion is vice president of marketing and communications for Arrow McLaren, the IndyCar team, where she started as press officer for Tony Kanaan during his final Indy 500. She grew up near St. Louis, switched from mid-distance running to pole vault in high school, and vaulted at Southeast Missouri State before careers at the NCAA and Republic Airways brought her to Indianapolis.

I spotted Lauren crossing the 2024 Indy Mini finish line with Tony Kanaan and tracked her down. We talk about turning that half marathon into a two-hour work meeting, running every track on the IndyCar schedule during track walks, what race day at the Indy 500 looks like from the pits, and how she ran a 3:34 and then a 3:29 at Monumental with no watch and no music, qualifying for Boston twice but missing the cutoff both times.

In this episode, we discuss

My first Indy Mini expo and our live show with Lindsey Hein, Kim Conley and Cam Balser
Spotting Lauren and Tony Kanaan at the 2024 Indy Mini finish line
Being Tony Kanaan's press officer during his last Indy 500
Why McLaren's color is papaya
Running each racetrack during track walk and becoming the runner girl of the paddock
Why the Speedway loop is the hardest part of the Indy Mini
Running the Indy Mini with Tony as a 13.1-mile work meeting, plus a doughnut stop
How her dad nudged her from mid-distance running to pole vault for a scholarship
What pole vaulting actually involves and competing for a D1 school
From admissions and the NCAA to recruiting pilots for Republic Airways
Unveiling cars on the St. Pete pier and helping script a Super Bowl ad
Race day in the pits with 350,000 fans at the Indy 500
Training for Monumental with no watch and qualifying for Boston twice without getting in
Earning an MBA during the pandemic while pregnant and switching jobs
Cross training with hot yoga and barre, and her mantra of counting down blocks

Chapters

00:00 · Intro
04:00 · Finding Lauren at the Indy Mini finish
06:00 · Tony Kanaan's press officer
08:00 · Papaya and the McLaren brand
12:00 · Running the racetracks
15:00 · Running the Indy Mini with Tony
20:00 · Collegiate pole vaulter
28:00 · NCAA, Republic Airways and Arrow McLaren
32:00 · Car launches and a Super Bowl ad
39:00 · Race day at the Indy 500
42:00 · Getting back into running
44:00 · No-watch marathons and Boston qualifiers
53:00 · Half marathons, Rev and family
1:00:00 · An MBA during the pandemic
1:03:00 · Cross training and running unplugged
1:09:00 · Mantra and next finish line

Where to find Lauren

Instagram: @laurenmcgaudion

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Indy Mini Marathon, Monumental Marathon, Boston Marathon, Carmel Marathon, Indianapolis 500, Lake of the Ozarks half marathon
Organizations and charities: Arrow McLaren, Ainsley's Angels, 500 Festival, NCAA, Republic Airways, Southeast Missouri State University, Arrow Electronics, HOKA, Brooks Running, Athletic Annex, Rev Indy, IU Health, The Hot Room, Pure Barre
Other: Tony Kanaan, Kim Conley, Pato O'Ward, Christian Lundgaard, Nolan Siegel, Alexander Rossi, Will Power, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Purdue MBA

Previous guests mentioned

Related episodes

Frequently asked

Who ran the Indy Mini with Tony Kanaan?

Lauren Gaudion, who leads marketing and communications for Arrow McLaren, ran the 2024 Indy Mini Marathon with Tony Kanaan, coordinating his interviews and finishing in about two hours.

Does Lauren Gaudion run without a watch?

Yes. Lauren Gaudion usually runs without a watch or music, and she trained for and ran the Monumental Marathon in 3:34 that way, later running 3:29 there in 2019.

Was Lauren Gaudion a college athlete?

Yes. Lauren Gaudion was a Division I pole vaulter at Southeast Missouri State University after switching from mid-distance running in high school.

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Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically, so it may contain errors.

This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast.

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones. I'm your host, Ally Brettnacher, and if you run, you're a runner and every runner has a story. Join me each week as I celebrate all different kinds of runners and celebrate finish lines and milestones. And this milestone week was me getting ready for my very first Indie mini expo.

So the Indie Mini is a race in Indianapolis that has a 5K and a half marathon, and I've run it. 16 times. This will be my 17th time. Either that or I've done it. 17. I don't know. Anyway, I'll have to look at my spreadsheet, but I've done it a lot. It's a rite of passage here in Indianapolis, and so today was the first day at the booth and I loved meeting people who listened to this, so if you were one of them, I love you and I'm so glad I got to meet you in person.

And especially people too who I've been following on Instagram or chatted with on Instagram and now got to meet in real life. It's so nice and it gives me so much energy and I need that for tomorrow and Saturday. So tomorrow I'll be at the expo all day. That is actually today, if you're listening, when this podcast episode comes out on May 2nd, I'll be at the expo all day.

And then I am co-hosting an event with Lindsay Hein. Who's the host of the, I'll have another podcast with Lindsay Hein and also the founder of Sandy Boy Productions, which is the podcast network that finish lines and milestones is now a part of. So we're doing a live podcast. Lindsay will be interviewing Kim Conley, a two time Olympian, and Cameron Baller, who's a Hoosier, and he ran around the perimeter of the United States last year.

So two really amazing people to help energize people for the mini. And we've got over a hundred people coming and I'm nervous and I'm excited and I don't want it to be over, but I also can't wait till it's over. I feel like running the mini on Saturday, ironically is gonna be my break from what has been a crazy week and weekend, but again, something that I live for and love so much.

So no complaining here I get to do this. So before I tell you about this week's episode, I do wanna make sure that I let you know that the event is brought to you by Brooks Running, Brooks Running came in as our title sponsor. All thanks to Athletic Annex. Our local run specialty store also has an online presence.

So if you're not local, check them out. And then Athlete Bouquets, which is my business, which is the booth that I have at the mini, probably should tell you that Bitch Sticks, Bottleworks Hotel, where I'm sitting right now. Proven X Project, lean Nation, transcend training and Performance and Stretch Lab.

Thank you so much to all of our incredible sponsors for making this event happen, getting Lindsay in town. I'm so excited and I'm really hoping that this is an event. Perhaps we can do year after year that perhaps we can do something similar around the monumental marathon in November. Who knows? But this has been really fun getting a chance to plan an event like this.

Alongside something that I love so much. Now, for this week's episode, I have Lauren Gian. Lauren

ran the Indie Mini last year with Tony Canan, who is an IndyCar driver, now retired. But if you don't know who Tony is, you should, if you're local, if you're not local, he's a famous IndyCar driver, Google him

tony has been a fan favorite for so long, and to see him running the Indie Mini was so cool. He's done it before, but last year I just happened to be pushing for Ainsley's Angels for the very first time, and I look over and there's Tony Canon and there's a woman running with him, and we cross the finish line close to them, and I have a video, a picture of it.

They're in our finish line photos, which I'll definitely link for you. But it was really funny. And then afterwards I thought, you know what? That would be a really cool story. And so I tracked her down and here we are. Lauren was a collegiate pole vaulter, which is super cool.

I don't think I've ever met a pole vaulter, to be honest. And she's also a runner. And has been for, for a time, and she runs without a watch, which I find absolutely fascinating. And I just find her life and career really fascinating. So I know that you're really gonna love this conversation with my new friend Lauren Gian.

Lauren

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Gaudion. Welcome. It's so nice to meet you.

Ally Brettnacher: Thank you. You as well. Been looking forward to this. Oh my

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): gosh. Yeah. We get to talk about running. It's the best. Yes.

Ally Brettnacher: enough,

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): And you are, have such a fascinating life. I feel like. Um, oh,

Ally Brettnacher: you're too kind. Well, I can't wait to just dig in.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): So, first of all, we have to talk to people about how creepy I am. And how I found you originally. Fair enough. Okay. Thank you for not making me feel creepy. You were like, oh wow. I can't believe you found me. You're probably like, what in the world?

Ally Brettnacher: So

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): last year I ran the mini marathon with Ainsley's Angels.

Mm-hmm. And I should have brought, or I should show you pictures 'cause you're in my finish line photos too. Oh. To make it wild. A level creepier. but you ran the Indie Mini Tony Kanaan Which I feel like most people listening to this who are local should know that name if they don't shame on you.

, People who aren't local, Tony Kanaan is very famous race car driver. He's won the Indie 502

Ally Brettnacher: or three times. One

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): one only once, one time

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. One time in 2013. Yeah. Isn't that wild? You'd think for as much prominence as he has, he would've won it a few times, but he went, won the IndyCar Championship in 2004.

Indie 500 in

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Okay. Okay. Maybe I was thinking that. Sorry, Tony.

Ally Brettnacher: He wishes he wishes that was the case.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): I feel like he should. Yeah. So, , so anyway, yeah. So you ran with Tony Canan and I remember you guys finished like right as we

Ally Brettnacher: were finishing

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): because I could hear people like yelling and then I think the announcer said something and then I look over, I'm like, oh my gosh.

Yeah, there's, there's Tony Canan and then there's a woman running with him. And I was like, I wonder. Who that is. So yeah, I looked up your bib number, found you on Instagram. That's so

Lauren Gaudion: funny. Yeah. That's amazing. I mean, I'm impressed to your dedication to find out who I was because that's hilarious to me.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Well, I just thought, I'm like, well I think people would love to hear about how you ended up running a half marathon Tony Kanaan Like crazy

Ally Brettnacher: is that? Yeah. So actually, . I started working Arrow McLaren the year that he was retiring. Okay. Um, so he came on as a driver at Arrow McLaren and I had just started a few months before and so I was his press officer through the month of May, and we got to know each other really well and load.

Lauren Gaudion: What does that

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): mean, press officer? So

Lauren Gaudion: throughout the month they have different media opportunities and every time that they're on track, there's media and sideline reporters that are coming by to understand kinda what's going on in the car to the engineering stand. And then my job is to kinda report that back.

Mm-hmm. But also coordinate all of his media throughout the month, so Wow,

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): that's a big job

Lauren Gaudion: for him. It was, yes. Yeah, because I mean, he's. Huge. And it was his last year. He'd been, I think it was his 23rd Indy 500. So the number of stories from NBC to ESPN, I mean, just media was latching onto this. So it ended up being a very full month for him, but then also for me, tagging along

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): the journey. Right. And like you're two months in when he joined?

Ally Brettnacher: Yes.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. Yeah.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Okay. I loved, I listened, , to the Industrious podcast that you were on. Oh yeah. And so when you go through the interview process to be part of Arrow McLaren, and they're like, what do you know about IndyCar?

And you're

Ally Brettnacher: like.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): I know nothing.

Ally Brettnacher: correct? Yes.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): I mean, how does that work?

Ally Brettnacher: So, um, like how did you

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): do this?

Lauren Gaudion: I mean, I think honestly, as a media relations professional, that's kind of the environment that you're always in that makes sense, is you, if you, especially if you wanna switch industries that you have to ask a lot of questions.

Because that's how you get to know the media and what they're trying to learn from you or your company. Yeah, that makes sense. So for me, it's just studying up what I need to then become a quasi expert on. But also the brilliance behind being a media relations professional is that you never have to be the expert.

You just have to true who has the answer. True. You just

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): have to point to the expert. Yes, exactly. And be like, this is the person you need to talk about this.

Correct. Yes. Yes. Yeah, that makes sense. , And now you have to be a race fan. Oh my gosh. Being just immersed in the environment.

Lauren Gaudion: Yes. Yeah. I pretty much dove into it that, you know, I've got like the checker flag earrings and different things like

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): that, Uhhuh,

Lauren Gaudion: uhhuh, that you just kind of get soaked into it.

But then also the McLaren brand, if you are a car fanatic or racing fanatic, it's a fun brand to be involved in because you may not know anything about. IndyCar, but a lot of people have seen a McLaren or know the

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): brand.

Mm-hmm.

Lauren Gaudion: That it's fun to represent that as

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): well. Yeah. Yeah. It's a really cool brand. And I told you when I saw you this morning that I thought you'd be wearing papaya. Why is the name of the color papaya?

Lauren Gaudion: , That's so funny. So we as a brand, I mean, you think of sports teams that have mascots. Yeah. And they make up a mascot that then takes on this personality. Well, rather than a mascot, we've taken on a color color.

Yep. So it is orange, but to McLaren it is papaya. So everything that we do and wear, I mean, I will look like a traffic cone whenever I'm, you know, walking up to

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): the track because we're literally neon orange. Yeah. So do you know the minion song?

The p Papaya song? Yes. I figured with a kid and then you probably just had to have heard it anyway. If you're All things papaya,

Lauren Gaudion: Yes, I would say I'm surprised that we haven't, you know, like really.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): honed into

Lauren Gaudion: to like make that ours. Um, but

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): you don't wanna, because you don't wanna go crazy, that's

Ally Brettnacher: Fair

Lauren Gaudion: enough. Yeah, that's a good

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): because my kids love that song. I swear where I was listening to it yesterday and I was like, oh my gosh, this now makes me think of Lauren and Papaya for McLaren, uh, Arrow

Ally Brettnacher: McLaren

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): has been a team for how long?

Lauren Gaudion: So actually we are a pretty recent team. McLaren bought into Sam Schmidt, Peterson Racing, which was around since the early two thousands, I believe. Okay. , But they bought in in 2021 officially. So then kind of came all the resources of the McLaren brand.

, So it started out as like a 30 person racing team, and now we're like 120. Geez. So a lot of growth in the four or five years.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Yeah. And how many years have you been there now?

Lauren Gaudion: I started midway through 2022. Okay. So about two and a half years now.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Okay. So cool. It's been fun. It's such a cool

Lauren Gaudion: fun journey.

Such a Yes. I'm lucky because, I don't sit in an office. I, I travel a lot for racing. Yeah. Um, which can be a blessing and a curse, but Yeah. I have to pinch myself when, you know, I start to get stressed out by just like, the day-to-day things that come up. Mm-hmm. And I'm like, we're, we're sending cars around racetrack.

We're not saving lives. I can tone it down a

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): bit. Oh yeah. Well, you know,

Ally Brettnacher: At

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): a software job I had, we, you know, sold software that was not life changing and we always joked like, well, we got mouths to feed. Right. You know, we're all like, just trying to feed our families here.

So, yes, we might not be saving lives, but we're doing something.

Ally Brettnacher: It puts things into perspective for sure.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Yeah. So where do you get to travel this year? Is the full schedule's out by now? Yes. Yeah. Like, I don't, and I don't follow IndyCar super closely. I think I told you via email that I've actually been to an IndyCar race in Brazil.

Right.

Lauren Gaudion: I was gonna ask you about that because that's so why

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): we can talk about

Lauren Gaudion: that some point.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): But yeah, it's so random. So I like for a hot second was, was interested and into it a little bit. I would work for the city but yeah, otherwise like, don't really know a ton. So yeah. So the schedule's out and so you just get the schedule and you get to travel all over the world.

Lauren Gaudion: Um, or there.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): how

Lauren Gaudion: many international?

Well, I wish it was a little bit more international. So right now there's one in Toronto. Okay. But used to be that, it would be like in Tokyo and Brazil and Yeah. Canada all over the place. but since. Well, I can't even say how long, so this is why I'm like, I'm not a real race car fan because I don't know anything about this

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): real well.

Anybody listening to this probably doesn't know. Anyway. I mean Fair enough. Some people might Fair

Lauren Gaudion: I could have looked like a real

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): expert there. Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: but I, I don't know how long it's been since they've kind of gotten this new North America centralized. Schedule, but we had our first race two weeks ago in St. Petersburg, so it was nice to get out of Indiana in the cold.

Yes. Um, get down to some warmer weather and then this coming week, and we'll be in thermal club in Palm

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): California. See, that's, yeah. That's not so bad

Ally Brettnacher: either. No.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): but it's so far for, you know, having

Ally Brettnacher: a young kid.

Lauren Gaudion: But we, we get a good amount of travel throughout the us um, and then up into Toronto.

And so really now through the beginning of September, we're traveling nearly every or every other weekend for a race.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): And you came to talk to me, Lauren, that's so nice of you. It's like your crazy time.

Lauren Gaudion: Well, it's a nice breakaway from cars racing to

Ally Brettnacher: me racing. Yeah. You're like, I can talk

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): about running racing.

Yes. And running around tracks, which you told me that you do

Ally Brettnacher: Places

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): you go. So tell people about that. That's really

Ally Brettnacher: cool.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. So the weekend for any IndyCar race or F1 two, they start with a track walk, which is time allocated where there are no cars on track, but it's for. Drivers to walk

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): track

Lauren Gaudion: or go around like on a golf cart with their engineering team to like understand the apexes interesting and really get to know like where there are some concerns with the track that they need to be able to like engineer

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): toward for the driver.

Lauren Gaudion: but I've actually used that since I started as a time where I get to run the track. I saw Willpower do it. actually before I started working in racing, I was like, that would be so cool. If I ever worked in IndyCar, I would definitely

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): advantage of that.

Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: And so I did and I was thinking there's gonna be a few people that do it.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): No, yeah, I was gonna ask you that. I was like, okay, who else do you have like a running club now?

Lauren Gaudion: I wish I could say that people thought that I was that cool that they followed along, but they will come on, come on. Every once in a while there's maybe two or three other people that join, but usually it's me running around the track.

And if I can, the tracks are anywhere from like. Two miles to four.

So usually they're pretty flat, but some of them do have a little bit of elevation, and if I've got enough time in the schedule that I can run the track twice. Mm-hmm.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): to do that to like really make it worth my while.

Right. Yeah. Because like two miles you're like, I need a little run. A little, little more than that.

Lauren Gaudion: So I feel bad because whenever I go to a track and I don't have time to run it, people are like, Hey, when are you gonna put your tennis shoes on? You ready to run the

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): track? I was

Lauren Gaudion: like, uh, not today actually.

, But I'll be out there next time.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): Yeah. Oh my gosh. so yeah, it's a, it's a fun part of the job and um, and one that I've kind of become known in the paddock as like the runner girl. The runner girl. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and for people listening who have run the Indian Indie Mini in Indianapolis that runs around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, well, at least I feel this way.

It's the hardest part of the race. Completely. Yes. That two and a half miles that it's just you're, you're baking on Yeah. A basically a parking lot. It's like running around a skillet. Yes. It's like you're, it's, and especially, yeah. Obviously if it's warm, it's the first Saturday in May every year and mm-hmm.

It is so hard, but it's so cool at the same time, especially for people who are local to Indianapolis. Yes. Who are race fans and even not, it's just this like, it's an amazing place to run. It's pretty iconic because you know, that's the first week in May and then, so it really kicks off this huge month in Indianapolis with Yes.

Everyone is bought into this racing culture and they mean come June one, they probably don't think about it again. Yeah. But then at the end of the month, on the last Sunday of the month, 350,000 people go to that same track. Crazy. You're like, I just ran this and I had a miserable time, but here we are. It took me forever.

And these cards are like just zipping around. Yeah. I think about that when I'm on there. I'm like, okay. So like, it would just be a couple seconds, right? Yes. Yeah. How nice would that be? You know, that'd be really nice Right about now. So how did you end up running last year with Tony? Yes. So, um, Tony was, , I mean he's been a runner, so he's done Iron Man's Yeah.

In Hawaii and so forth. But, , someone from 500 Festival reached out to me to, you basically get Tony involved from more of a PR aspect. Yeah. And so he was like, sure. I mean, I can fit that in. I'll, I would love to run it, but, will I be able to have someone that can come along to coordinate the interviews, Uhhuh, because we were gonna start the morning with some interviews.

He didn't think someone would actually like run the full thing with him, but like, start the race. Yeah. Drive out to the track where they're gonna be some more interviews and then. Let him go finish it. And so I was like, alright, I'll do it with you. And he's like, okay. Thinking like, I'll see you at the right, I'll just like zip around and like be where you need me to be.

So as it got closer, he was like, I was talking to him about my training. He's like, oh, you're like really gonna run it with me? I was like, yeah. I mean, how fast are you gonna run it? If I can't like keep up with you, I'll figure it out. Right. But I'm not gonna just wake up that early morning, go down and see all these runners and not join it myself.

Yeah. So at the time at work, so he, after he retired from racing, he actually became part of our team. Yeah. As like a team principal now. Mm-hmm. But he's had like seven different positions. Okay. Since 2023. So he was now my coworker. and we had, we had a lot of things that were, we were kinda like building into the month of May, so there was just a lot to talk about.

We ended up using the 13.1 miles as a meeting. So for the entire, I think we finished right around two hours. We were talking about work the entire time. No. Outside of his interviews. Yes. Okay. That's way less fun than I imagine, Lauren. You should tell people No, like we were, I don't know what else, but Well, it would get interrupted every once in a while when you'd hear these like, you know, fans er Of course.

Go, Tony said Tony Kaon. Mm-hmm. Um, which was, which was a blast too. But he, yeah, we, we just chatted the entire time and it was super productive. We're like, alright, this is gonna be our Saturday morning routine. Let's go out, run 13 miles. Right. And we'll just take care of the world's issues and we're good.

See, my problem is, I forget everything we talked about because like there was a little bit of that. Yeah. Yes. Like need to take notes somehow and like while I'm running so I don't forget. 'cause when I'm on the run and I have great ideas, that sucks because I usually forget what they were. Same. Yes. Yeah.

I've always thought about that, of like, can I just have like someone follow me so I can be like, write this down. Exactly. Yeah. You just need a third person to be like, okay, you listen and you like just type and run, you know? Exactly. Yeah. You guys were just, it must have been just under two hours.

Around two hours. 'cause we finished. Just under two hours. And I was like super proud. 'cause I was pushing for the first time ever with any an angels. That is crazy. You are amazing. Thank you. It was a blast. you probably won't ever get a chance to do it now that you're in racing, but if you ever do, I mean, well you could at a different race, but not necessarily at any many.

Yes. but yeah. Wow. So yeah, seeing you, I actually do think I spotted Tony before they said his name and like kind of did a double take and then they said, and then I was like, no, that really is so wild. That had to be fun the whole time getting cheers. I felt it in a different way because I was Team Hope.

Yes. And I put it on the back of our shirts so that people knew the name. Like as they, 'cause you put it on the the chair too. On the, on the, it's not a stroller and it's not like a wheelchair. I don't never know what to call it. Like a chariot. No, I was gonna ask. Okay. On the chariot. I love that. That's perfect name for it.

On the chariot there's the name. But I was like, no, I wanna put it on the back so people know. Smart idea. But that had to be so much fun that you're like. You're running with this celebrity, especially in Indianapolis, like kicking off May. Yes. And that's honestly, I mean, for those who know Tony, I mean he's gotten this reputation in Indianapolis for just being such a fan favorite.

Yeah. And And always willing to give his time. And That's so true. I mean, even running, we'd have, it's why it took us two hours was because he like stop and like give high fives. Oh yeah. And she chat with people as they were, you know? That's so cool. Cheering 'em on. So it was neat because also in that race, there's this lull where it seems like there's no fans from like, what, mild 10 through 12.

Yeah. That's a tough part. And even for that, while they were a little bit less, Condensed. Yeah. You still had like everyone cheering to down and I was like, well, I'm just gonna take those cheers on as my own Right. To keep me motivated. Right. You're like, well, I'm just, I'm here. I mean, it's kind of cool though 'cause you're like, I'm the one like running with him.

I think that would be just so cool. It was, it was something But you stopped halfway at the track and did interview stuff. Yes. Yeah. So he had an interview with, I think it was WTHR. That's so funny. With Dave Collabro and then also ate a donut and then finished, of course, the donuts there. I've never actually eaten one there, but I probably should sometime.

I don't think I could do it. I don't think I could walk, I guess if I was just gonna do like a walk, run the rest of the way, but otherwise I'd just be destroyed. Yeah. No, I've eaten a donut hole once at, it was like mile 23 or something of a marathon. I ate a donut hole. That's, and I was like, that's, this is either the best idea or the worst, but it sounds, it sounded really good.

So that's just like had to happen. yeah. So that's so fun. So like in the middle you're doing work and then you're just having a work meeting hanging out. Yeah. Now was it your first time doing the indie mini. No, I had done it three times before. Okay. So you're like, oh, I'm a pro too. And how long, how many times had Tony done it?

Because he's done it, um, about that many years, so, yes. Yeah. Yeah. I think this was the first time he's done it, that he wasn't racing. Okay. So he's done it and then, you know, was racing. Do you know what his PR is? that's a great question. I don't expect you to know that. It's just under two hours. Okay.

Yeah. I feel like he could run faster than that. Yeah. Yeah. It depends on the day. He likes more of the endurance runs. Yeah. Um, so I think, well, being an iron man, my God. Yeah. That's crazy to me. Yeah. Totally crazy. and you, I could talk about this forever, like, and we'll make come back to the indie mini stuff too.

But you were a collegiate athlete. Yes. Yeah. And not a runner. Not a runner, but tell the people. Tell the people. So I was a pole vaulter in college, so crazy. , But always loved running. In fact, my coach would tell me like, you need to stop running distance for your workout. 'cause like, you know, we go home for summer breaks or winter breaks.

Mm-hmm. And I would do that instead of, you know, the gymnastics or the strength training. And she's like, no, no, no. Like keep on your regimen. Stop your, yeah. No. Five mile runs. They'll be, they'll be waiting for you after college. Wow. That's funny. So you're from where? St. Louis area or? I'm from St. Louis on the Illinois side.

Okay. Um, and then moved to Indianapolis 10 years ago. Okay. So I went to school in. Southeast Missouri State University called Cape Gerardo is the town. Okay. Sounds super cool. Um, uh, it was fine. There's a reason a lot of people haven't known, don't know about it. Cape Gerardo. I mean, but it does, it sounds really cool.

gone Girl, have you seen that movie or read the book? Okay. Yeah. So that was set in Cape Gerardo. Cool. See, it is cool. It was kind of neat. My last year living there, they were filming the movie. Um, I was not spotted as like an extra or anything, so I have no cool stories other than seeing like, oh gosh, I don't know her name.

Was it Ben Affleck? I think was Oh yeah, he was the husband. Yeah. Yeah. So I saw him. Oh, that's cool. So yeah, so I went to Tangent. I went to Miami, Ohio and they filmed, , a movie with Ryan Gosling and George Clooney after I graduated. Ah, I was very disappointed. Okay. And I actually still haven't watched that movie, so I forget which one it is too.

So gonna ask, you know, but I was like, well, I'm not there so it's not as cool. so you, did you get a scholarship for pole vaulting too, right? To go? I did, yes. Yeah, so I actually, it was all by my dad's design. Okay. Um, I was a mid-distance runner in high school and I worked with the strength and conditioning coach.

and one day the track was closed, so he was trying to like think of a different workout that I could do and instead the pole vault runway was open, so he was gonna have me just do sprint drills on the runway. My dad was like, I mean, if she's interested in try and pole vault, why don't you like just switch the workout to do that today because there's more scholarships that she could get.

Right. Pole vaulting of an obscure sport than not. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And especially back in like 2005 when this was all happening. and so I did some pole vault drills that day, fell in love with it and. Switch from being a mid-distance runner to a pole vaulter. That's so crazy. Tell people what pole vaulting is.

'cause I hear the word vault and I'm like, okay, that's not, obviously not the gymnastics vault, but it's where you like, go over a bar, tell, tell us what it is. So you have a like, call it 10 to 14 foot, depending on how good you are at the time. fiberglass pole. Okay. That you sprint as fast as you can. You have to accelerate the entire every step.

And you plant the pole at a diagonal angle into this basically box and it will bend and basically repel you up and over. And you have to kind of turn your body upside down to flip over the bar, which is. For beginners start at , call it seven, eight feet, but all the way to the world record now, which is what, like 22, 23 feet.

So I think about it as the guy in the Olympics, I'm sure. Yeah. With the window. Insane. I was not that, but yeah, like going that high. I mean, God. Okay, but you're like flinging yourself into the air. Yes. Yeah. You, that's crazy. And like everything about it is just trying to push whatever step you are to the limit.

So you're trying to run faster, you're trying to plant harder, you're trying to get further upside down, and then you're trying to like push off the pole to get over. Well, and there's like a technique like probably as you're flying over so that none of your body parts like hit it and knock it over. Yes, exactly.

Yeah. So it's, very technical. Yeah. Um, also kinda like messes with your mind because you're like running until all of a sudden you're like immediately stopped when the box Oh, right. When the pull hits the box. But then you have to keep that momentum going in a different direction. That is wild Lauren.

It was, pretty insane. And the thing about it is like people are like. Oh my gosh. Like, do you miss it? It's like, yeah, you do, but you're not just gonna pick up a pole and like, go outside today night lawn. Uh, you should, you should. Well, I mean, you should go to a track where there is one and just be like, okay, I just wanna dabble here.

Just show 'em what's going on. Then I'd be no longer the runner girl, but the crazy girl. The crazy girl who's just like pole vaulting everywhere. What do you land on? It's a huge mat. Okay. So like, think of, like big styrofoam block. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Actually, I should know that I did HighJump for like a hot second.

Oh, it's kind a big high jump mat. It it's like kind of like HighJump in a, in a way. Like, except you're, I mean, it's a lot more impressive in my opinion, but I like, yeah, I remember having to do the technical, like of the steps, like how you had to kind of count almost like a dance and then Yes, I can't really imagine running as fast as I possibly can and then like stopping and launching myself.

The air, how is the box have like sand in it or something that like absorbs that I just No, that's the thing. It's metal. It's a metal box. You just like clunk it in there, so it just kind of flings around in there. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It's weird. Do you miss the box? Like, do you ever miss it? Like with the pole?

Yes. Every once in a while. Like you could go right above it and so then you're basically, your pole will go into the mat. Okay. So, I mean, you're not, it's not good, but it's also not gonna kill you. Okay. Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's so wild. Yeah, so wild. It was fun. So, I mean, yeah. That's really cool. And what were the highlights of your collegiate career as a pole vaulter?

so I was not so great. The, the problem was I went to cmo. They had a great coach that recruited me, and over the summer, between my senior year of high school and my freshman year, he left. Oh. And so then they just had me working with my, me and my teammates working with a long jump coach who did not know anything about pole vault.

She just knew like to run fast and jump. So therefore, I mean, from a performance standpoint, there were not a lot of highlights because I basically peaked in high school and then I was like, just getting by. Yeah. but being part of a team, and I mean, you get that in running too whenever you've got a group that you're run with every morning.

It's just like the stories, the unexpected, like relationships that you build. those were always just so fun and getting to travel a lot for races at that point. Yeah. so I went to a smaller school in Missouri. It was still D one, but got to, you know, compete at iu, got to compete at Purdue, compete at University of Missouri and down in Ole Miss.

Yeah. So those types of things were like. Pretty cool. I don't deserve this. What, like, how am I competing at this level? Yeah. I mean, yeah. Being a D one college athlete, that's, I mean, who cares? You got there and did that. I mean, talking to people on this podcast can be different because some, you know, I've talked to some collegiate runners who mm-hmm.

Like, were super talented, but for the most part, this is a crew of just like average people who like to run. And so from where I'm sitting like that is really freaking cool and so impressive. Well, I, like I said, I was never felt like I was like at the caliber of a D one athlete, but I, I did it, made it all through the four years and, now my parents just really loved that they didn't have to pay for my college.

Right. That's education. That's a huge bonus. Yeah. And what did you study in college? I studied mass communications in Spanish. Okay. Ooh, and Spanish. Mm-hmm. Okay. That's cool. I need, I just broke my Duolingo streak not that long ago. That was over 400 days and it made me very sad. That's impressive. I mean, you, you should be proud of what you got to, but get back on it.

I know. I'm on day like 20. Oh, okay. I did start again once the whole social media with Duolingo, I'm a sucker for good marketing, as I'm sure you are as well. Yes. And so I was like, fine, I'll restart my Duolingo streak because I They did it for you. Yeah, they did. That's why. Yeah. So anyway, I digress. Okay.

And so what was your first job outta school? So I stayed actually after I graduated, and that's the only reason I got to see The Gone Girl. Oh. Because it was actually after I graduated. But um, I stayed and worked as an admissions counselor. Okay. So basically recruiting high school students to the university and focused on athletes.

Okay. That's cool. So the football coach, basketball coach, track coach would work with me as they were talking to the athletes that they wanted to recruit to. and yeah, recruited them for two years and that kind of, then obviously. You know, launch the rest of your journey in really like the sports world.

Yes. Pretty much. Yeah. Right, exactly. 'cause you went to the NCAA after that, right? Yep. Yeah. So moved to Indianapolis and that's what got you here to work for the ncaa. they have an awesome postgraduate internship program that's a year long, that I did and really fell in love with the city. So at that point I was like, alright, I can either work in college athletics, hopefully here in Indy Yeah.

Or stay in Indy and find something else. Yeah. Um, so I stayed in Indy and worked for Republic Airways. That's right. And so did almost the exact same thing as an admissions counselor. I recruited pilots at college campuses for the airline. Yeah. Yeah. And you were at Republic for a long time, so that was kind of your foray, like out of sports, but still like that's a really unique industry to work in too.

Yes. Yeah, it's It's something that, like as a kid it's like, okay, if I wanna work in the airlines, I guess I'll become a pilot. Well that was not gonna happen for me. I just don't have the mind for it. But, um, to work for an airline in Indianapolis is super unexpected, but also a really fun career because I love to travel.

it got to stay kind of united with the college campuses if I wasn't gonna work there in athletics. Mm-hmm. and get to travel for free as well. Yeah. With their flight benefits. So yeah, it was a good get 'cause they work with major airlines and so you get to travel with through those partnerships.

Yeah, exactly. So they're like a code share partner for American Delta and United. Okay. So yeah, it was a pretty good park. That's really cool. And have you ever flown like an airplane, like piloted a plane? Yes. Through, well, so Republic started a flight school, , but also as I was recruiting every once in a while, like the flight instructors would, you know, have extra flight blocks available.

And so I'd go up with them. Okay. Um, and take a few lessons. So I think technically I've got like 14 hours in my log book. Oh, there you go. Um, but it's 14 hours more than I have. You know, it's, it's probably not gonna help me at any point because I still would not land the plane, um, or anything else. They just have to tell me exactly the button that I have to push.

Like, okay, red button, push that now. Yeah. Okay. I can do that. You're like, I don't really know what why, but I can do, I can follow those instructions. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. That's really cool. And then how did this opportunity with Arrow McLaren come about? So talk about the power of networking and kind of reaching out to people on social media.

Hey, there we go. Way to bring it back. Yes. , That worked for me too, so take your shot. Yeah. , Jody Scott, she actually was the lead recruiter at Republic. Call it, 10 years ago she hired me at Republic and then she was then head of HR at Arrow McLaren. And so I saw that she posted about it on LinkedIn.

Yeah. I was like, oh, that's kind of cool. I should just, you know, say hello to her and see how her job's going. So I did that and was just like, also, you know, I've just had a, my daughter at that point, who is six months old and working for the airline at that point in crisis comms was overwhelming my world.

Yeah. Because every time I'd get home from work, there would be some sort of issue that I'd have to, you know, log on back on and address with the media. So, , I was kind of itching to get outta that at that point. Yeah. And Jody said , Hey, I don't know if you'd be looking for a job, but we have one coming up that will be open in a month if you're, , interested in staying in touch.

And so I was like, absolutely. That sounds good. I don't know if you. No, but I don't know anything about motor sports, however, like let's chat and, but I'm teachable. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so two months later start had my first day at Rol McLaren and Wow. Show goes on. Yeah. Guess it's, it's been a wild two and a half years.

, Working for a race team is, like I said, not something that I ever had my like site set on, but it's a really fun job. It got me back into sports. Mm-hmm. Too. , A different type of sports than I ever expected, but Yeah. Yeah. But still able to like, weave in Yeah. Your love of running again, back to like running around the track, which I just still think is so cool.

And the marketing side of it. Mm-hmm. Like I've seen, now that I follow you on Instagram, I've seen some of the video footage of these like events and stuff you do for the brand and the team. And so could you talk a little bit about that and like how you come up with these ideas and pull 'em off?

It's so cool. Yes. Yeah. So, . Like I said, the McLaren brand is so powerful because it's a global brand, whether you like the racing or you like the sports cars. we have a lot of brand power that we get to kind of like use in ways to pull off big events, but also get other people bought into what our ideas are.

Mm. and, and help them, whether it's funding or whether it's, you know, opening their spaces to us to be able to use. we actually a fun one that we just did, I've got a team that, , a 14 that are range from social media to communications to events and experiences, and we just did our car launch. So basically every race season you have.

A new design on your car. Mm-hmm. And, you know, we wanted to expose that in a big way. So we took over the pier in St. Pete and we, , it was beautiful, like golden glow of the sunset and That's so cool. Had, , Tony Kanaan as the mc of it, our drivers were there and we had our three race cars, like basically propped on this terrace, in front of this immaculate restaurant at the end of the pier and did an unveil event for maybe 200 guests ranging from partners to media to fans.

And it was just, wow. So awesome to see an idea that we had of like, okay, can we get this to come to life? And it, and it really did, and we had drone footage of it. We had Fox that kind of covered the event as well. So really fun way to, to start the season, but also. Bring our brand to places that people don't expect it.

And in marketing, like, yeah, that's, that's everything that you want to do is you want to make people see your brand in places that they don't expect it to come alive. Cool.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. So that's just one example of the different things that we can do with the brand and our driver's, personalities, Tony being one of them. , They come to life in the most unexpected ways.

Um, actually a fun one that I got to work on, which was not because of me by any means, , but we had one of our drivers Pato Award in a Super Bowl commercial this year. And that was like a once in a life opportunity that I still have to like pinch myself to say I had the smallest part in writing the script for it.

Fox wrote it, they sent it to us to be able to say, what do you think? And we got to contribute back to it. So that was amazing. and I will certainly put that on my resume.

Ally Brettnacher: Uh, yeah, as you should. You tried to tell me you don't have a cool life. I don't understand. So yeah. That is so amazing. It was pretty neat.

Yeah. Wow. Okay. Wait, what brand was that commercial for? It was for

Lauren Gaudion: IndyCar. Cool.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. For

Lauren Gaudion: IndyCar. Um, yeah. To promote the season as well as the Indy 500, and Fox is now the new broadcaster for the series. Yep. So you can watch all the races on Fox. This is the plug for Indy car. You're welcome.

Ally Brettnacher: Yep. Yeah. Okay, I do remember seeing that.

I think I told you I saw that. I was like, wow. The, yeah, the look at us getting some. Yes. Huge. I mean, that's a huge stage. Yes. The biggest really,

Lauren Gaudion: it was amazing exposure. , And just to see that, you know, as. It's not just here in India. I mean, it is nationwide, right? People, 127 million viewers are seeing this commercial of one of our drivers and our brand.

Yeah, that's huge. Um, and who are your other drivers? How many? Three, three drivers. Um, we've

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): got

Lauren Gaudion: Pato O'Ward, um, who is kind of the, the guy in IndyCar, um, has. Been with us for five years. So he's a veteran, but also only 25 years old, which is,

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): crazy. Crazy.

Lauren Gaudion: and then Christian Lard is new to our team. Okay. He's 23. And then we've got Nolan Siegel, he started the season with us midway through the season last year, and he's 20.

So, whoa. Children, I feel, feel like I'm like their grandma. I know.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. 'cause it sounds like we're similar age if you were oh five college. Mm-hmm. What, what year did you graduate from high school? Graduated from high school in oh seven. Okay. I was oh four. Okay. So, ha, I

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): I pulled her.

Ally Brettnacher: look who you're calling grandma now.

I'm just kidding. But yeah, I would feel like that around 20 year olds for sure. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Wow. and. Pato, is that how you say his name? Yeah. Okay. So where, what country is he from? What? N Mexico. Okay. Mexico. Mm-hmm. So do you speak fluent Spanish since

Lauren Gaudion: you studied it? I can, but it's like riding a bike, you know.

Well, it's not like riding a bike. Actually. I kinda lose a little bit of the fluent uh, jargon. Yeah. But I can speak it if I need to. Yeah. So I can, I can understand what he says, but sometimes I'm slow at the responses. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. I feel like I can understand quite a bit of Spanish because I have a decent vocabulary.

Mm-hmm. But the speed at which they speak, I'm just like. Okay. I caught one word of that. Right. And that's not gonna help me. So Yeah. And then trying to formulate, gimme like five minutes to form a sentence in my head, yes. But yeah. But that's pretty cool that you have that and that, that he's on the team and that, I mean, that has to help with your relationship with him.

Absolutely. Yes. so do you work, obviously you work for a McLaren as a whole, as vice president of marketing communications. Mm-hmm. What is that? How? How do you work with the individual drivers? Do they each have their own like media person then designated to them as well, like you did for Tony?

Lauren Gaudion: Yes. Yeah, they do. And so since I. Started my role in that I was started as director of communications, so it was assigned the drivers, um, and their media relations, but then since, uh, got the promotion to now the whole commercial department. but I've retained one role during the race weekend of basically being their press officer.

Ally Brettnacher: Gotcha. So now

Lauren Gaudion: I work with Christian Lund Guard as he's getting onboarded to the team, is to make sure that he kind of understands our talking points, how we want our brand reflected, et cetera. So,

Ally Brettnacher: and where's the word? Where, what's arrow? Part of the team.

Lauren Gaudion: Arrow electronics. Okay. So they're a, electronics company that really is kind of like the I ot, so the internet of things.

Mm-hmm. For technology. So they'll find a company that needs a technology solution that links them to another company. So they're really big into B2B. Just connecting one tech company to another. Yeah. And finding like the best solution. Yeah. and they are based outta Denver, but they're our title partner.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Yeah. And have they been the title partner since the inception of the team, or does it change names? It would then change names based on the title partner.

Lauren Gaudion: It would, yes. But they've been a long time partner, so since 2021. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. Mm-hmm. What are you most excited about this year for the season?

Hmm. I mean, the Indy 500 Yeah. Is great because I get to one sleep in my own bed, not traveling bonus for a month.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: but also I think we've got a strong team going into it and it's just fun to know that like. My friends who are here in Indie, like they care about it for that month. Yeah. After May, they're like, okay, well what do you do the rest?

I'm like, we still have our full season to go. Yeah. This is

Ally Brettnacher: like just one little part of this whole big season. Yeah. That is pretty cool. 'cause for that weekend you are like, yeah, you are. Spin it. Yes. Yes. So walk us through what Memorial Day weekend is like for you working in IndyCar.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. So really the full month, um, my daughter I mentioned, she's three, so I drop her off in my.

You know, safety cone outfit to daycare. And then I will see her the next morning whenever she wakes up. So I'm really at the track every day from for the month of May, but then it starts with carb day. So that is the last day that the cars are on track before the big race. Mm. , And it is like really like this.

Concert cars on track. So kind of a party Yeah. Out at the racetrack. And then Saturday there's a lot of partners that come into town, so we do, , kind of this like blowout cocktail hour with them mm-hmm. Where they can meet the drivers, get to like really like experience Indianapolis because they're coming in from out of town.

Yeah. through that full day and then early to bed, or as early as I can because at like two 30 I'll wake up on Sunday morning, drive to the track by three. And basically all to beat traffic, right? So then I sit there and I just kind of like make sure that I'm reading the news coverage for the day, getting, you know, myself prepped for what the drivers will need to do for their interviews.

but then like slowly but surely, like. You see more and more people, more and more traffic coming into the track. 6:00 AM this cannon goes off and people will like run to their campsites. That's and everything like that's, um, because the track officially opens. Yeah. And from there on out, I mean, it's all hands on deck, so you're running from one place to another with the driver.

You are, working with partners, making sure that they're set up in the suite and, and enjoying themselves. and then. The fanfare starts with the national anthem. Mm-hmm. The driver introductions, the fighter jets flying overboard. And I mean, I get the, like the nerves whenever I run a race and so like, you know, the goosebumps and everything, like the shortness of breath before I start a race.

Yeah. I feel that same thing. That's so good. And I'm like, I don't have anything to do because I'm just here. But it's that same like adrenaline. Yeah. Because it's such a big deal and there's 350,000 fans around you and they're watching what like. You do it every day for your job. Right.

Ally Brettnacher: It's so wild. So where do you, where are you in the, are you in the pits, like I'm the pits

Lauren Gaudion: standing in there with everybody?

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. So I wear a headset like this and I'm in the pits listening to our driver, communications to the engineers and basically there for any support from media and what they need to know as they're pushing the broadcast out. So, kinda fun. Except whenever they crash and then I'm running over to Emergency care center to, um, make sure that our driver's like walking and yeah, nothing's life critical or anything like that.

What's the worst you've seen for your team? in racing? Nothing beyond a broken bone. Um, last year still though. That's crazy. Yes. Alexander Rossi broke his thumb. so that was. More like we didn't think that it was that bad. He, you know, hit the wall and we're like, oh, that's, you know, he's gonna go to the medical center, but he'll be back in the car tomorrow.

Yeah. And then he was out for six weeks,

Ally Brettnacher: so, ah,

Lauren Gaudion: yeah. Mm-hmm. So,

Ally Brettnacher: oh wow. You just never know what's gonna happen.

Lauren Gaudion: Truly.

Ally Brettnacher: Yes. Yeah. It so wild, so exciting. Yeah. It gets me fired up even though I'm like good CBC track side of May. Right, exactly. well, at least at the mini. And I wanna circle back.

Well look at that, circle back to like how you ended up running a half marathon in the first place. Yes. Like how your relationship with running started, obviously as a middle distance runner when you were young. Yes. But like now back, you know, being an adult, how did you end up getting back into running half marathons?

Have you run a marathon? Like what are, I wanna know more about that.

Lauren Gaudion: So after I graduated, from college, I wanted to. Figure out what my next step was to either stay in shape or just stay busy.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm.

Lauren Gaudion: so running was definitely one of them. And then I kind of dabbled in golf, although that's not really worth talking about.

but I had a great running community in the two years that I lived in Cape Gerardo after graduation, where each morning at 5:00 AM we would meet at the park. It was like a half mile from my apartment, and we would run anywhere from five to seven miles in the morning. And it was an. Awesome running community.

I wish I could say that I found like that strong of a group that was that consistent here in Indie. Yeah. I just haven't put the effort myself into it. I know that they're out there, but, , it was an amazing transition for me from having a coach that dictated my workouts to then me having a group that held me accountable just to show up in the morning.

Right.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: , And so did that and signed up for my first half marathon a year after I graduated. Did that down in, Oxford, Mississippi. Okay. And fell in love with the thought of running long distance. So, you know, running more than just like five to seven miles. Yeah. Yeah. , So I will say I've never been like a really consistent racer because for me, running is such an enjoyment.

I don't want to feel that I'm stressed to, you know, hit a time. Yeah. I did that long enough. Competing in college. Yes. That now like I wanna run because I felt good that morning and just want to get out there. Yeah. And enjoy the weather, really. so I have not done many half marathons. I've maybe done definitely under 10, probably around like seven to 10.

Okay. but every once in a while I'll get like the itch and I'll be like, all right, what's out there? What's a nice place to run? Yeah. Nice weather. Um, so I've done half marathons, kinda like. Sporadically, but a lot here in Indy or Carmel and Okay. , When I moved to Indianapolis, I signed up for the mini or the monumental marathon.

Okay. , I can't remember what year the first one was. It probably was like 2015. Okay. and I did all the training by myself. Um, I was like, I'm just, I don't want to set expectations for myself. I just wanna go out there and run it. Run it. I think my time was 2 34. Okay. So I just hit like the mark of the Boston qualifier, but it was the year or two after, like the bombing.

So the time, even though you hit the time for the qualifying, you didn't actually qualify. Okay, wait,

Ally Brettnacher: back

Lauren Gaudion: up. So you did the full,

Ally Brettnacher: you did the full monumental, yes. Yeah. Yeah. And you ran it in 2 34. Sorry, 3 34. Three 30. Well, I was like three, four. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my God. No, because my brain was like, does not compute, but still 3 34.

3 34. Yeah. Is that, is cooking?

Lauren Gaudion: I had no expectation. I, I didn't know what I was gonna do because I was just running by myself. You what did you, what

Ally Brettnacher: you, you did it yourself, right? Your training. So like, what did you do? Like Google, you'd use Hal Higdon. Like what? How did you together?

Lauren Gaudion: No, I wish, say I was that scientific, I was just like, all right, if I know I'm gonna run 26 miles, I probably need to get up to like 22 miles or so.

Yeah. So every weekend I would just go out and add another mile. Sure. And I, I didn't time myself, so, okay. This is another thing we need to discuss. Yeah, yeah. The watch, this gives me anxiety. Lauren, no watches. , But yeah, I, I, until I got to like mile 18, I wore, I did not wear a watch, but then I just wanted to wear a watch because I was like.

I don't know, like I wanna time myself because like I wanna get home. I don't wanna be out here all day, so let me like, just make sure I know what time it is. But I was basically like calculating my run on like Strava or whatever beforehand, routing it out and then just going and doing it and then just going and doing it.

That's crazy. Yes. Yeah, I, and having no idea what your splits were? Nope. I had no idea other than like, okay, I started at 7:00 AM I got home at nine. That sounds good.

Ally Brettnacher: How freeing does that sound? It's actually, it just really makes me crazy, but like the idea of just running to run. Mm-hmm. The concept is hard.

And I'm not competitive with anybody besides myself really. Right, right. But still, I'm competitive with myself. Like I can't imagine not wearing my watch for a run.

Lauren Gaudion: But

Ally Brettnacher: I also feel like it would be a good exercise for me to just like do that. I did make myself stickers to put over the face of my watch.

Oh, that's a good idea. So that like on easy runs, I don't have to like, I just don't look at it. And I've gotten better now where I just don't even, I don't need to look at it like I used to be like, okay, how. You know,

Lauren Gaudion: Uhhuh, and you don't listen to music either. I don't listen to music. I purely just go out there to run and enjoy it.

But also I run in the morning, um, so I don't want to like not be able to hear something in the, or whatever. So safety wise, absolute.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. So I kind of like cut you off 'cause I just was like, what the hell? Um, because you had mentioned that. You qualified for Boston, but they added time. Go back and say that again.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah, so sorry. I'm not that good of a runner. I was not 2 34. Well, I mean, I was just like 34 3. There was

Ally Brettnacher: the full and

Lauren Gaudion: yeah, so that, that marathon came about just because I was like, oh, let me try it. I'll go out and do it. Um, but ran 3 34, so I qualified by the time, yes, but. They had so many runners that had met the qualifying time that it ended up being like 3 31 or whatever that you actually needed.

Right, right. So didn't qualify for that. but then a few years later, did you care? Oh yeah. I was like really

Ally Brettnacher: mad. Well, 'cause I feel like. Know, you're just like, okay, I'm gonna run a marathon, I'm gonna plan, not gonna wear a watch. And then, but you're like, no, what? I would've loved to run Boston.

Lauren Gaudion: Yes. So then I was like, okay, if I run Boston, then I will train.

Okay. I'll like actually wear a watch and use it. Did you, you know, going

Ally Brettnacher: into the full marathon that there was a Boston qualifying time you could hit?

Lauren Gaudion: Yes. Because by like my all or my runs at like 18 onward, I was like, oh, I mean, I guess. Doing the math, I could be close.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow. Yeah. But it

Lauren Gaudion: wasn't like that's my goal.

It was just like, that'd be cool. Yeah. So then fast forward a few years, 2019, I ran the monumental again and that time I was like, alright, I do want to qualify and I think I can at least hit because I had the extra five minutes mm-hmm. Because I was in the next age group. Right. so qualified in 2019 with, Sorry, 3 29. Wow. And hit the qualifying time. But then Covid hit

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Lauren Gaudion: so qualified in 2019 with, Sorry, 3 29. Wow. and hit the qualifying time. But then Covid hit and son of a

Ally Brettnacher: gun,

Lauren Gaudion: so they postponed it and then there was something going on. I can't remember whenever they finally got to run it again. Yeah, but they, oh, they shrunk the size. Oh, that's right. Yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah, yeah. So

Lauren Gaudion: then again, it went below my qualifying time.

By who could actually run it. That's

Ally Brettnacher: so annoying.

Lauren Gaudion: Have qualified technically twice, but haven't done it, so I have to do it again. Yeah. I mean, but I'm kind of like, oh man, it's the running, the marathon's not the bad part. It's the training, which, you know, you

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, you're talking, you're talking the right, right person there with young kids.

Yes. Well, and for you having a very demanding job where you like need to. Be places like you gotta, you gotta travel or you're, you know, you're at events. Yes. Like you've gotta be there. Versus like, people with flexible jobs like me, I can run whenever I want and need to. Right. What a blessing. Right. But it's just, yeah.

The idea of throwing some marathon training in the mix. Right. But, you know, could you do that in the off. Season. Yes. But, and then run in the spring and then that, but I guess you're gearing up for the season. So that's also probably a pretty busy time,

Lauren Gaudion: although at least I'm home. But the problem is, is the off season is, let's see here, um, Aug, September through March.

Okay. So most of the off season is like crappy weather here, maybe. Well, yeah. You'd have to

Ally Brettnacher: run in the winter. Yes. Which I have not, I have not done a spring marathon. For that reason.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: because I feel like training in the winter is really hardcore.

Lauren Gaudion: It's, it's not fun. Yeah. Indy. Yeah. I mean, because then you think like, okay, even if I can run in the cold, the run day that you're gonna do your long run, it's like probably gonna ice that day probably.

And then you're gonna break your ankle, so,

Ally Brettnacher: right. So yeah, I mean, I've done long runs on my treadmill for this reason, because I just kind of get, I'm like, oh, well I'll just run inside and watch a movie. Yeah. I cannot run on a treadmill. No way. Yeah, a lot of people are like that. I just can, thankfully, I'm amazed by that.

Yeah, it's not, I mean, I wouldn't necessarily choose it for anything over 10 miles because it's brutal. Like, it does get a little boring, but yeah, it's how I get in all my garbage tv. Oh, that's a good point. Yeah. Yeah. So. Okay, so you qualified for Boston twice. Have you done any other full marathons besides monumental?

So those are the two full, Nope. Just monumental. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Well, that's really cool. then I joined the board. Not 2020 the year after. So like, or no? Did I join? No, it would've been 21. Okay. It was 21. 'cause I left my job at the end of 2020. 'cause the pandemic year and then mm-hmm. 21 I joined the board.

So yeah, you're gonna have to come back and do monumental at some point, but like how, how I'll get there at some point. Yes. You know, , we got time and I feel like what's crazy is you could get faster as a, as a mom, it's, to me, I always thought like, oh, before kids was my peak.

Lauren Gaudion: Right. But it's just

Ally Brettnacher: not the case.

Lauren Gaudion: Women are amazing. Amazing. It blows my mind how many women get faster as they age. Yeah. And I don't know if it's your body makeup or you're just tougher because you've had a baby. I think that's part of it. Yeah. You know, your threshold is more than what you thought it was beforehand. Yeah, totally. Um, it's wild.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, absolutely. And so, okay, so Margot just turned three. So you became a mom in 22. Yes.

Lauren Gaudion: Mm-hmm. Yep. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. All right. And so. In between then you'd run half marathons. Which ones have you done locally here? You mentioned caramel. Have you done

Lauren Gaudion: Carmel? I've done the

Ally Brettnacher: caramel.

Lauren Gaudion: Okay. Um, I've done the monumental, I've done, um.

Actually those. Okay. And I've just like split between both of those. And then outta state, the Mississippi one, I've done Mississippi, I've done, lake of the Ozarks. Cool. Um, one in St. Louis and Ozarks, Cape Gerardo as well. Okay. So yeah, random. All like Midwest ish. Yeah. Okay. So

Ally Brettnacher: Mississippi was that really hot?

Uh, it was in February, so it was perfect. Okay. This was nice. That'd be cool. Yep. And then look at the Ozarks. Mm-hmm. That'd be fun. Yeah. Is a really one, is it

Lauren Gaudion: hilly? Honestly, not so bad because you run a lot over like the reservoir, so you're running across the dam and back. Oh, okay.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. So there's a little bit of an incline, but not bad.

Okay. Yeah. That's cool.

Ally Brettnacher: I feel like I love the show Ozark too. Oh yeah. And I've been there since then and it's just like, wow, this is a wild place. Really. Yes. Yeah. And the

Lauren Gaudion: terrain.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. For a runner. I mean, you're getting some hills. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so qualifying for Boston at some point would be cool. Yes.

Yeah. Um, are there other races like that you really wanna do,

Lauren Gaudion: you know? Yes, but it's like, I, even for the mini, I haven't registered yet. Like, I'll register whenever I see the like notification you'll run this year? Yeah, I think so. Come push. Oh, I could

Ally Brettnacher: recruit

Lauren Gaudion: you. Oh my gosh,

Ally Brettnacher: come on. I don't, I don't know if I'm strong enough for that.

Oh, get outta here. You just said, you know, you are, you are a mom. I mean, it would be amazing, but whenever Run

Lauren Gaudion: with my. 20 pound daughter.

Ally Brettnacher: I'm like, oh my gosh. Yeah. Okay. So you stroller run Uhhuh? Yeah. Oh man. Yeah, that is, it is a whole nother level and I feel like people think that it's really hard to push somebody, but it's the, the, the, chariots are like.

Really light weight, like they make them really efficient. Right. Like it's as bad as you think. Right. It's, it's easier than you would think. I, I feel like, except for that one hill going into the speedway, that's Oh, yeah. Yeah. I just, my, my strategy was just to sprint up it as fast as I could to just get it over with.

Yes. I was like, this is the hardest, slow down.

Lauren Gaudion: Just

Ally Brettnacher: go.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah, yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: See, this is how every time I sign up for a race goes, it's like I have no plans, and then all of a sudden someone's like, just do this, do this with me. I'm like, okay, sure. Sounds great. Good. You're one of

Ally Brettnacher: the, I

Lauren Gaudion: like that.

Ally Brettnacher: So

Lauren Gaudion: I like people who are

Ally Brettnacher: just like, yeah, okay.

Sign me up. That's how I've done pretty much every race. Yeah. Perfect. Great. Next thing, you'll see me with a chariot

Lauren Gaudion: in May.

Ally Brettnacher: Excellent. You'll be like right next to me and be like, yay. Got her to do it. yeah. 'cause Well, there's a race that weekend for IndyCar. Yes. Do you, so do you travel for every race or you don't have to travel For every race?

Lauren Gaudion: travel for most, however, that one, we have low presence from media as well as partners. Okay. So I don't. Need to go. Okay. Um, but also Rev is that evening, right? Oh, I meant to ask you about Rev. Yeah. And I'm on the board for that. Okay. So there's some representation that I have to have for my team at Rev.

Gotcha. So that makes sense.

Ally Brettnacher: Do

Lauren Gaudion: you

Ally Brettnacher: go to

Lauren Gaudion: that event every year then?

Ally Brettnacher: I've gone for the past. Five or six years. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. It's an event I've never been to here. I used to go to Zoo Ation every year, which is for non-locals. It's a zoo fundraiser that's a black tie. That's like the event of the year.

And I feel like Rev is like the other one.

Lauren Gaudion: Yes, exactly. Like if you're, I mean,

Ally Brettnacher: there's two events. Those are probably the two biggest events like that.

Lauren Gaudion: Mm-hmm. In our

Ally Brettnacher: community. But Rev is actually at the Speedway.

Lauren Gaudion: Yes. Yeah. And it's the night

Ally Brettnacher: after the mini. 'cause I feel like my running coach goes to Rev every year.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. And I'm

Ally Brettnacher: always just like, man, you know, that's a double whammy. You know, get up. Run a half marathon. Yes. Have a late night. Have a late night. Yeah. Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: No, it's, it's a fun like whole day because it really does kick off the month of May. Yeah. Um, but then Rev also features some of the best chefs in Indianapolis.

Mm-hmm. So combining, you know, running and then eating the best food, eating the best food, it's a great day.

Ally Brettnacher: What else is, could you possibly want? Right. And so what is, what is the setup of Rev?

Lauren Gaudion: So it's all through the pagoda. Okay. Um, which is kinda like the plaza leading into the track.

, But they've got different chalets that they've got chefs set up. Okay. All throughout those. But then also there's. I mean, it's basically like one big weaving dance floor because all the way through the gates mm-hmm. Into the track. There's more food and drink and then there's a DJ in the like where the, they wave the flag, right?

Okay. There's a DJ up there that's cool. And the dance floor on the track. Um, by the time it gets to that point of the night, I'm usually like, alright, my feet are sore, I'm done, I'm going home, I'm out. But it is really neat. It's, it's a great for a great cause, benefits, IU Health and Okay. Kinda the trauma center, but then also gives chefs this platform to market new dishes or market themselves there, you know, kind of a startup restaurant to some of the city's most influential people.

Right. Yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: that makes sense. That's cool. Is the dance floor on the track by the bricks?

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah, on the, on the art of bricks. That's cool. Mm-hmm. Yes. So there you go. Yeah, put it on

Ally Brettnacher: your

Lauren Gaudion: bucket

Ally Brettnacher: list.

Lauren Gaudion: You gotta go.

Ally Brettnacher: It would be nice. It would be really nice. I think I have a 40th birthday party to attend that evening this year, which I'm also like, oh, okay.

Lauren Gaudion: yes, find a nap at some point in the day. Please.

Ally Brettnacher: Can I take a nap? It's hard. 'cause you know, I mean asking, you know when you have a spouse and you're like balancing all the things, it's like, yes, one more thing. But then he could benefit from that as well. It's a fun event. Yes. So what does your husband do

Lauren Gaudion: and how did you meet?

He, he works for PNC. Okay. So he's in finance, which is great because his job is very much nine to five.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: so he's busy, but also he is stable, whereas like I'm traveling and mine is very much not nine to five. Yeah. Um, we met technically via Tinder. oh, this is fun. I love these stories too. We are a Tinder match.

but we, our first date was at Ralston's. Okay. Actually downtown Indianapolis. I don't, I've never

Ally Brettnacher: been there.

Lauren Gaudion: Oh, it's a fun place to like watch sporting events. it's got like shuffleboard and stuff. Oh, okay. But we met, there, but found out like we lived very close to each other. My good friend from work at the time was his neighbor, so we had a lot of like different Nice.

That's great. Grieving ways and yeah. Tinder worked. Thanks Tinder. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: A plug for them as well. Yeah. That's so, that's so wild. But India is such a small, big town, like it's. It truly is

Lauren Gaudion: like the two degrees of separation, I think is relevant.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Is wild. Yeah. Mm-hmm. That's really cool. And then Margot is your daughter's name.

I don't know if we've said yes, we've, I think we've said Margot at some point during this conversation, but I just love that name. Thank you. How did you pick the name? Margot?

Lauren Gaudion: We wanted one that was not a traditional name at this point. Mm-hmm. But. Turns out she has three Margo's in her preschool class.

Get the heck outta here. So yes, so it's not so original like we thought it would be, but we did kind of like a bracket, like an NCAA bracket with names for boys and girls. We didn't find out her gender and it came down to, I think Margo and I wanna say like Penelope or something. I also

Ally Brettnacher: love that name.

Yeah. Um, it was two

Lauren Gaudion: very outta the box. Well, we thought outta the box names. Yeah. Yeah. And Margo one that's fun. That's

really cool. So we breezed over this part of your story where. You got an MBA during the pandemic.

Yes. Yeah. So, , worked for Republic Airways during the pandemic, which like I mentioned to you Oh yeah.

Was a story in itself. Yeah. Of just the chaos. I mean, you talk about people wanting to, to still get where they needed to go, but also not be close to people whenever they're flying in these, you know, metal tubes. Ugh. And so the amount of like. Just stories that got blown outta proportion. Um, I don't know if you recall, there was like a story on the Today Show a few years ago where there was like, the seat back.

The guy was shaking the seat in front of him. Mm. And they ended up like, getting kicked off the plane. Mm. That was one of our flights. but I mean, people are, they either like travel really well or they absolutely lose their mind whenever they're in an airport. Um, so I had plenty of those fun stories.

Yeah. But, I mean, COVID was all consuming for everyone. Yeah. Whether no matter what your job or. Just what your life was at home. Yes. Yeah. Um, and so mine was all consuming with like work, I didn't really have an outlet other than crazy stories from the airline. So I decided like. I wanna do something for me.

Mm-hmm. Something that's not necessarily for work. And it was getting an MBA at that point. Um, what I didn't anticipate was getting pregnant with my daughter, but that did happen during, um, about halfway through my master's program. Wow. Yeah. Um, and so it was mostly online, but we did have like fully interactive classes each night.

and then.

had two semesters left to go when Margo was born, and so finished that, but then also changed jobs from Republic to Arrow McLaren with six months to go left in, in the program. , So yeah, it was, it was chaotic. My poor husband, I mean, thank God that he is the most patient man in the world because I was losing my mind.

I mean, I would've.

Ally Brettnacher: I don't understand

Lauren Gaudion: how he was like our rock, so we all made it through. , We're stronger for it. But yeah, I graduated from Purdue with my MBA in 2022 at the end of the year. Wow. So, yeah, that's

Ally Brettnacher: wild. Switching and adding like the switching jobs in there too.

Lauren Gaudion: Yes. Yeah, it was, it was a lot going on.

and so like sometimes I'm like, I don't know what I really learned other than survival from my MBA program.

Ally Brettnacher: I mean, which is pretty great lesson to be able to apply to life so that you can just survive, especially as a mom. Yes. A working mom. Mm-hmm. One that travels a lot. That's, I mean,

Lauren Gaudion: yeah. And talk about like running, being a source of like therapy.

Yes. I mean, I didn't run very many long runs during that period, but anytime I could run, I was just so thankful for the time that I could get out, breathe. Yeah. Be in my own thoughts for a minute. Mm-hmm. Um, and it was truly my therapy. Yeah. At that point.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, absolutely. And so what is your running routine like these days?

Mm-hmm.

Movie on 3-17-25 at 9.36 AM (1): So I've,

Lauren Gaudion: Realize that I'm a better runner if I am able to balance it out with some sort of cross training, whether it's hot room yoga. Oh, that's good. This is good

Ally Brettnacher: for you and good for people listening who need to do more cross training probably

Lauren Gaudion: like me. Yes. Yes. I, when I was doing both marathons, or actually when I did my first marathon, I just ran every day.

Ran, got my miles in the second one, um, I did more yoga through it. Okay. Um, but now I do yoga. I've done pure bar for a year. Um, that is so hard. It is hard. It's, it's weird because my husband laughs at me because I don't sweat in Pure Bar, and he's like. I thought you said you were gonna go work out. I was like, well, I did.

Yeah. Do you see my legs still shaking? Right. It's just like the smallest, most awkward motion. Yeah. That like your working muscles that you're not when you're running. Yeah. And so it's, it's a good workout. But I do like now like judge myself. It's funny. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: I like to sweat when I workout too, but yeah.

Yeah, you get humbled by bar real quick, I just, I'm saying this because I did my first bar class in a long time. Okay. Yeah, yeah. And via Peloton, so like in the comfort of my own home, but it was still like destroyed me. And a friend of mine, Ashley Haynes, who listens to this and has been on this podcast, she teaches bar and I'm, I'm just like.

And runs like a hundred milers, no big deal. But I'm just like in awe and like, how do you do that? I don't understand

Lauren Gaudion: the, the run after you take a bar class is the worst because you're like, my body is sore in places that I never thought I'd be sore.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: And where do you do hot yoga? there's a hot yoga studio downtown and then also, uptown called the Hot Room.

Okay. Yeah. And that's a great spot. And they're, they're super runner friendly. Yeah. I mean, even on like monumental days, they're like, bring in your bib for a free class. Oh, that's smart. Yeah. Yeah. They, they have really like catered to my running routine of like asking what mile I'm on and then they give me like a few like stretches and things to do for running as well.

Yeah,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Yeah. So, so you mix it up a lot with cross training these days? Yeah. You run how

Lauren Gaudion: often? So I try to run two or three times a week. Okay. right now it's more like two, but once the weather gets nicer, then yeah. I'll get out there on the weekend. Yeah. And

Ally Brettnacher: you live in the Butler area, so like broader pool ish.

Yep. Um, where is

Lauren Gaudion: your running route? So, I like to run on Butler's campus a lot. Yeah. Um, because like I said, I run in the morning, so I want to make sure that I'm running where I feel like. There's some like security buttons or even like security driving around. Right. Um, so that puts my husband's mind at ease while Right.

Yeah. Out there and about. Exactly. Well, it is like, I mean,

Ally Brettnacher: sadly real thing, right? Yeah. Yes. But at least too on a college campus, there's probably cameras too as well, and you can just, yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. and then, so you usually run solo too? Mm-hmm. Solo, no watch, no music, no. Just like alone in my thoughts.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah. It's just, I'm giving you anxiety right now. You are like, but

Ally Brettnacher: it's, you know, it's really good anxiety because it's like, when I started this podcast, I was just. Awe of people who could run without music. I was like, I, I could never. Mm-hmm. And then last year I did my first full marathon without headphones.

Really? Mm-hmm. How was it? Was it freeing? It was fine. Yeah. I just realized that I like it kind of almost like a crutch. Like it's like I need that to pump me up. It's like. I don't actually,

Lauren Gaudion: yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: You know? Yeah. The environment being more present, I mean all mm-hmm. All of those things. Being able to listen to my body better even.

Yes. Um, so I still, I, I use headphones and I'll listen to like podcasts or audiobooks when I run. Mm-hmm. Sometimes I'll do music, but. On shorter, easier runs. Like I just realized I don't need it.

Lauren Gaudion: Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: And it is pretty freeing. It's nice, but the whole no watch thing, I don't think I could do 'cause of Strava because it's like, well, people need to know.

True. Nobody cares. But people need to know that I ran

Lauren Gaudion: today. Yes. Yeah. So silly. I, uh, I have not done Strava for that reason, because then I'm like. I think it goes back to me feeling like I was coached for so long. Yeah. That now running is not like a pressure that I have. I've got enough pressures with being a mom and everything, so this is my.

Out and Yeah, if I don't judge myself as harshly because I, if I set out to do a five mile run and only get four, it's like I may not even know,

Ally Brettnacher: and I'm like, oh, and I run back and forth in front of my house to have even numbers. That's, you know what? I have given that up. I'm so proud to say that's good. Like for the most part, like if I have a workout. That's, you know, six miles, I'll, I'll finish the six mile workout and it might be like, you know, a little more than that or not, but like, oh no.

On other times where it's a workout, I don't run to complete the even number anymore, which is, it's

Lauren Gaudion: a big win for me. That's where I got into dangerous territory when I was in marathon training is because like as I'm So those later training runs, yeah, it was like. No, I've got to end on zero. I have to, and so I'd be, yeah, like running a half a block up, half block longer, and just trying to get to that zero.

Yeah, because. I ran, you know, 21 miles at this point, but if I don't get to 22, I will not finish the marathon in my mind. Like we're psychotic. Yeah, we are.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So you have a little bit of that

Lauren Gaudion: in there,

Ally Brettnacher: but that's, you know, how to keep it away by doing all the things that we've talked about, which is just, it's good.

People need to. Know that that's possible, even though it sounds so silly to say. 'cause it's like, of course you can run without your watch. Of course you can run without music. Like yes. I mean, of course you don't have to hit a pace. Like nobody cares what, how fast you're running, but if you're measuring it, you know, you do.

I know it's so hard. It's like, well if we're being honest here, yes. You know, it's, but it's always good to kind of check yourself. Um, and I find too that for me. This year I told my coach, I was like, you know what? This year is not the year of PRS for me. I pr the full marathon last year. Put in a lot of hard work.

I still wanna put in hard work in my training, but take the pressure off. Yes. And just enjoy. Yeah. So that's why like pushing with Ansys Angels and having that experience and like I'll do some pacing I'm sure this year and like just finding other ways to enjoy. The race experience besides like staring at my watch and trying to see if I can pr Yes.

Setting your own milestones, right? Exactly. Exactly. That's so perfect. Thank you. You are a brilliant marketer. so. I probably have to ask you the end of the podcast questions now. Alright, let's dive dive into 'em. Yeah. Which is, this was, I just wanna keep talking to you forever. first is, what is your favorite, , mantra and or song?

Which song, since you don't listen to music, it could be like one that comes on that's like your pump up song. I don't know.

Lauren Gaudion: so I'm a big, like one more block. So I city runner run by blocks. So as I'm finishing up, I like, just basically count backwards how many blocks that I have. And so I will out loud tell myself, alright Lauren, five more blocks, four more blocks, you got this.

And so that's my mantra is. That's what keeps more coming

Ally Brettnacher: to my one more? Yep. Yep. Mm-hmm. Okay. And then your next finish line or milestone. It sounds like you might be at the Indy Mini. Yeah. Maybe pushing.

Lauren Gaudion: Maybe pushing With's angels. I don't know. Yeah. I think realistically that will be my next race. Yeah.

but now I'm kind of like. This talks got me itching for like something. Yeah, you gotta be careful. I'll probably go online tonight and try to figure out what is, what else is that happen? The next place I'm traveling to that I can put a race in or something like that.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, that'd be really cool if somehow like around a travel race that you're like, oh, if there's like a half marathon or even like a 10 K or something out, you know, it's a great way to.

See where you are. Yes. Which I still think it's so cool to like run around. Do you like, keep track of which ones, which speedways you've run around, like which tracks you've done?

Lauren Gaudion: Yes. I try to do all of them. I didn't get, but like I said, the schedule sometimes, puts it back. But I think I've got like two more tracks on our calendar that I haven't run yet.

So goal is to hit those this year? Yeah. , Just to say that I've done the entire season right then of the, of the races, which is

Ally Brettnacher: so cool. I feel like there's. There could be such a cool thing with like doing running events on tracks, like Oh, absolutely. Tied with the, you know, but that would be, gosh, your brain, you're just like, no, no more events, you know?

Well,

Lauren Gaudion: speaking of, we're actually trying to work with Portland. Okay. Um, to do one of those. 'cause that's where Hoka is located and our team's sponsored by Hoka, so we wanna partner with Hoka to do a run on the track there.

Ally Brettnacher: Dude, that would be so cool. It

Lauren Gaudion: would be

Ally Brettnacher: amazing. That's gotta happen. That'd be really, really cool.

When and when would that be? What type of year that

Lauren Gaudion: will be? Middle of August. Okay. So

Ally Brettnacher: that could happen this year? Yeah.

Lauren Gaudion: Mm-hmm. We're working on it, so Oh,

Ally Brettnacher: hopefully we can make it happen. TBD. Yeah. That's really exciting. Mm-hmm. Oh, cool. And then, yeah, any, uh, anything else coming up this year? Like big milestones?

Lauren Gaudion: I mean, I think that's it, but if I can sign up for a race, that will be a milestone. Yeah. Um, I probably won't hit monumental this year. Yeah. But, I mean, honestly, if I can just get into a half marathon and. Do it. Yeah, probably do it without a watch. Okay. What is your half marathon pr? , So I was trying to look it up before, but I couldn't find my second most recent. Okay. Um, mini, but I think it's 1 42. Okay. I think somewhere in there. That's awesome.

Ally Brettnacher: Well, thank you so much for doing this with me today. It was so much fun. I'm glad I got a chance to meet you after stalking you and now we can be real friends.

Yes. Yeah. And thank you to everybody who has listened to this. And happy running. Hopefully

Lauren Gaudion: you've heard most of it. We'll see. Hopefully

Ally Brettnacher: you heard most of it. We'll find out. Dear Lord, please, thank you so much for being lucky on St. Patrick's Day.

Lauren Gaudion: Right, right. We did something to mess up the leprechaun.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

FLAMS Lauren G - 4:21:25, 9: Stupid.

If you enjoyed this episode of Finish Lines and Milestones from Sandy Boy Productions, please share rate review. Again. I'll be at the Indie Mini Expo all day today if you listen to this on May 2nd. So please come say hello and if you are running the Indie Mini on Saturday, good luck. I hope I see you out there and happy running.

Enjoy every mile. I'll see you next week.

Ally Brettnacher

Episode 106: Lauren Gaudion - The Runner Girl in the Paddock

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